Portanus spherae sp. nov.

(Figs 20–37)

Diagnosis. Body mostly brown mottled with ivory (Fig. 20). Anterior margin of crown with two distinct interocellar white spots (Fig. 20). Male pygofer with a pair of long posteroventral spiniform processes (Fig. 24). Aedeagus (Fig. 29), in lateral view, L-shaped with robust and mostly straight shaft; dorsal apodemes long. Female internal sternite VIII (Fig. 31) sclerotized.

Measurements (mm). Male holotype: total length 6.26; crown length 0.46; transocular width 1.64; interocular width 0.88; maximum pronotal width 0.63; maximum pronotal length 1.58; forewing length 5.23. Male paratypes (n=3)/Female paratypes (n=3): total length 6.33/6.38; crown length 0.50/0.50; transocular width 1.61/1.67; interocular width 0.85/0.87; maximum pronotal width 1.55/1.57; maximum pronotal length 0.68/0.69; forewing length 5.22/5.24.

Coloration. Dorsum (Fig. 20) mostly brown mottled with ivory. Crown (Fig. 20) lighter posteriorly and darker anteriorly; two distinct interocellar white spots; apex margined with black. Ocelli yellow. Eyes bluish-white (varies among specimens and preservation methods). Transition crown-face with transverse white band (Fig. 21). Forewings (Fig. 23) translucent; basal veins of apical cells ivory surrounded by dark brown; apex dark brown. Legs light brown with hind first and second tarsomeres with small dark brown maculae at middle. Venter (Fig. 22) light brown.

External morphology. Crown (Fig. 20) with median length three-tenths transocular width; anterior margin angulate; lateral frontal sutures not reaching ocelli. Pronotum (Fig. 20) slightly narrower than transocular width; dorsolateral carina (Fig. 21) inconspicuous; posterior margin almost straight. Forewing (Fig. 23) with conspicuous venation; three closed anteapical cells, median one slightly longer than others; first and fourth apical cells subquadrangular, second and third subrectangular. Hind leg with femoral setal formula 2+2+1; tibia with rows AD and PD both with a row of long cucullate setae (10 in holotype) intercalated by few shorter cucullate ones at AD and single longer one at PD.

Male genitalia. Pygofer lobe (Fig. 24), in lateral view, longer than high; long basiventral spiniform process extending well beyond pygofer apex and strongly curved ventrally; posterior margin rounded; few microsetae distributed at dorsal fourth. Valve (Fig. 25), in ventral view, subrectangular and wide; posterior margin straight. Subgenital plate (Fig. 26), in lateral view, extending posteriorly farther than pygofer apex; basal third without transverse unpigmented line; ventral surface of apical two-thirds with uniseriate row of robust and long macrosetae (13 in holotype) and few microsetae; apex slightly turned upwards. Connective (Fig. 27), in dorsal view, Y-shaped; basiventral process short. Style (Figs 27–28), in dorsal view, long and narrow, extending posteriorly much beyond connective apex; with apical third wide and appearing bifid because of an elongate and robust preapical lobe. Aedeagus (Fig. 29), in lateral view, L-shaped; preatrium well developed; dorsal apodemes long; shaft robust and almost straight, without processes. Anal tube (Fig. 24) with segment X long and without processes.

Female genitalia. Sternite VII (Fig. 30), in ventral view, approximately rectangular; posterior margin broadly rounded. Internal sternite VIII (Fig. 31) with sclerotized regions, an anterior longitudinal median area and two elongated subtriangular lateral regions. Pygofer lobe (Fig. 32), in lateral view, longer than high; subtriangular; macrosetae distributed on posterior two-thirds; apex acute. First valvifer (Fig. 33) subquadrangular. Gonangulum (Fig. 33) well developed and falciform. First valvula (Figs 33–34), in lateral view, expanded at apical third; dorsal sculptured area at apical third strigate; ventral sculptured area at apex strigate; apex acute. Second valvifer (Fig. 35) approximately oval; small sclerotized dentiform process at apical two-thirds of posterior margin. Second valvula (Fig. 35–36), in lateral view, expanded at apical two-thirds; with approximately 32 separate subtriangular teeth without denticles (n=1); without preapical prominence; ventroapical margin serrate. Gonoplac (Fig. 37) expanded at apical half; apex rounded with approximately three macrosetae (n=1).

Type material. Holotype: ♂, “ BRASIL: RJ, Resende, Parque \ Nacional do Itatiaia, 22°23’38.9”S,\ 44°39’59.7”W, 2255m,\ 26.VII.2014, Malaise, Monteiro et\ al. Col.”, DZRJ (DZRJ-AUCH-0263).

Paratypes: 1 ♀, same label data as holotype, except 4.IX.2014, DZRJ (DZRJ-AUCH-0264). 1 ♂, same label data as holotype, except 4.XI.2014, DZRJ (DZRJ-AUCH-0265). 1 ♀ and 2 ♂, same label data as holotype, except 1.XI.2014, MNRJ. 1 ♀, same label data as holotype, except 22°25’42.6”S, 44°37’42.2”W, 1442m, 21.XI.2013, DZRJ (DZRJ-AUCH-0266).

Etymology. The species epithet derives from the Latin word spherae in apposition, meaning spheres, in allusion to the ivory spots on the anterior margin of the crown.

Remarks. Portanus spherae sp. nov. is similar to Portanus marginatus Carvalho & Cavichioli, 2003 by sharing aedeagus (Fig. 29) with long preatrium, robust atrium, long dorsal apodemes, and shaft directed dorsally. However, it can be distinguished from the latter and other Portanini species because its following features: (1) pair of long posteroventral spiniform processes on pygofer (Fig. 24); (2) internal female sternite VIII (Fig. 31) sclerotized (recorded previously in the tribe only for Portanus adenomari Felix et al., 2020).

This species was collected at high altitudes at PNI (1,442 m and 2,255 m).